Pete Lee

Democrat

AGE
70RESIDENCE
Colorado Springs (43 years)HOMETOWN
Colorado SpringsPROFESSION
Lawyer, small business ownerEDUCATION
Ohio Wesleyan University 1970 BA, Wharton School, U of PA 1970-71, Akron (Ohio) School of Law, JD 1975FAMILY
Wife, Lynn LeeEXPERIENCE
8 years serving as State Representative, HD 18, 30+ years working as a lawyer in private practice, small business owner, and 10 years with Fortune 500-sized companiesWEBSITEpeteleecolorado.comFACEBOOKpeteleecoTWITTER@PeteLeeColorado

Why are you running for office?
I have spent the past eight years in the State House fighting to reform our criminal justice system, ensure that every child in Colorado has access to a good education that will lead to a good paying job, and create an economy where small businesses in Colorado can thrive. While we have accomplished a great deal over these past eight years, there is still work to be done. I want to continue working on these important issues in the State Senate.

What three policy issues set you apart from your opponent(s)?
I propose to continue working for criminal justice reform, including restorative justice, improving public education, creating an environment conducive to economic activity including small business/entrepreneurship, and moving towards renewable energy.

What are the biggest areas of agreement between you and your opponent(s)?
I do not know my opponent’s positions.

Where would you like to see Colorado’s transportation system in two decades, and what’s the best way to get there? What’s your position on the competing state transportation initiatives?
Colorado needs to have a transportation system, including multi modal, that safely and efficiently enables people and products to move from one place to another for personal, business, recreational and economic reasons. We have been underfunding our transportation infrastructure for many years resulting in an estimated $9 billion deficit. The Pikes Peak Rural Transportation District is a model for regional cooperation and funding of transportation that is a template to scale statewide. I support transportation initiative #110 to issue bonds to raise $6 billion to fund transportation projects including a citizen oversight board.

Denver Post Voter Guide

What role, if any, should the state legislature play in managing the impact of growth along the Front Range and ensuring that rural areas share in the benefits?
Managing growth is both a state and local concern. At the state level, we need to project and plan for inevitable population increases, which means having a rational statewide water policy that acknowledges the scarcity of that resource, as well as measures to ensure sufficient infrastructure, schools and teachers to educate the children who will be our citizens and workers, an affordable housing policy that enables people to own or rent a home and visionary leaders that collaborate with expert demographers and planners. Rural areas are empowered to control their destiny by local planning commissions which accommodate their unique and distinct strengths.

Colorado’s health insurance exchange and Medicaid expansion have given hundreds of thousands more residents coverage, but health care remains a top concern in state polls. Affordability and access are particularly challenging in remote areas. Where should the state go on this issue, and what will you do to get us there?
We need to protect the best parts of the Affordable Care Act including ensuring that Medicaid expansion is not diminished so coverage is available for those who need it. We have reduced our uninsured population to approximately 6% and we have a variety of plans available from multiple companies. I will continue to work with experts and leaders on health care issue to continue to explore group buying, pricing disclosure and transparency, and multi-state markets to increase pool sizes to spread out the risk.

More in Voter Guide 2018

New reports and studies continue to emerge on Proposition 112, the oil and gas setbacks measure, just days before election day on Tuesday. The high-stakes ballot issue has attracted millions of dollars on the campaign finance side as stakeholders on both sides of the issue try to convince voters of their arguments.